Humanitarian Aid for Gaza

Floor Speech

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Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the safe, timely, and sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The actions that Hamas took on October 7 were horrific and led to the tragic loss of life and displacement of millions.

When I talk to the families of victims of the October 7 tragedy who were killed or taken hostage, you can hear the agony and despair in their voices. I also hear that same agony and despair when I talk to my constituents who are Palestinian Americans who have lost relatives in this war.

Now, I can't change the prosecution of this war. Israel has a right to defend itself. Israel has a right to make sure Hamas no longer presents a security threat to its civilians. It also has the right to degrade Hamas' ability to be a viable governing and political entity if we ever want to find a lasting peace.

That is the horror of war. I can't prevent that. What we can do is prevent what we are watching unfold in front of our eyes right now.

I am a doctor, and I am hearing horrific reports of the humanitarian and public health crisis that is taking place--the lack of clean water, the lack of food, and the starvation that is unfolding in front of us. Winter is coming.

We must do everything we can to prevent the humanitarian crisis if we ever want to find eventual peace in the region. That is something that we can do. That is not about war. That is about relieving the suffering of individuals and civilians. The folks who are most vulnerable are infants and the elderly. Let's get them that clean water.

Mr. Speaker, that is why I am introducing my resolution calling for the safe, timely, and sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip.

This resolution urges the Biden administration to facilitate a scale- up of the safe and continuous flow of aid to civilians that includes medications, food, and clean water. It asks for the ability of humanitarian organizations to deliver this aid in Gaza without impediment or interference. It encourages the distribution of fuel to humanitarian organizations working in Gaza and for the proper oversight to ensure the aid is appropriately delivered and not commandeered by Hamas.

Mr. Speaker, I also recognize the urgency of passing President Biden's supplemental funding because it does contain funding for humanitarian aid.

We have to get this done. We must do everything we can to pass this funding request to support our allies and prevent this humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Mr. Speaker, in this time when many religions and faiths are reflective, let's do everything we can. We are all God's children here.

We can do this. This is not about war. This is about saving lives. This is about allowing humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza on a continuous basis to provide food, clean water, medications, fuel to keep hospitals operating, and energy to make sure we save these lives.

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